


Operation Secret Santa

by writetherest



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writetherest/pseuds/writetherest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just another Dunder Mifflin Christmas Party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation Secret Santa

The office at Dunder Mifflin Scranton was decked out in its usual Christmas attire, with garland and lights strung all around, the Christmas tree lit up in the middle of the office, and Christmas carols playing softly from the small radio behind Pam's desk. In the conference room, Jim Halpert sat facing Mark the cameraman.

"Yep, it's Christmas time again here at Dunder Mifflin. Monday, December 24th. Christmas Eve Day. A day most people have off. But not us. Instead of having the long weekend, we have to work today and have tomorrow and Wednesday off, only to come back on Thursday." Jim smiled, which was really more of a grimace. "Oh, no, I'm excited. Because, really, nothing beats Christmas in this office."

Jim glanced out the window of the conference room to where Pam sat at her desk, a pretty red headband holding back her hair that matched her pretty red sweater. She looked really pretty. Especially with the way the Christmas tree lights were twinkling on her hair. Jim was brought back to earth with a cough from Mark. "Oh, um, yeah. Yeah, we're doing Secret Santa again this year. Michael has assured us there will be no Yankee Swap this time around. And I'm pretty sure he made sure Phyllis didn't get his name this year so… that'll be fun I guess. As weird as it sounds, I kinda missed it last year. But last year was… last year. And this is this year. So… different." Jim thought about just how much had changed in a year.

Mark asked him one more question, seeing Pam heading their way for her interview. "Who did I get for Secret Santa?" Again the smile that was more of a grimace came out to play. "This year for Secret Santa, I got Dwight." He nodded. "Yep. And you know what… I'm pretty sure I figured out the perfect thing to get him too. So," Jim shrugged and glanced over to where Pam was. A real smile graced his features. "It could've been worse." 

Pam shook her head as she passed him. "Shut up," she mumbled. Jim grinned the whole way back to his desk.

Pam tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then began her interview. "I got Jan for Secret Santa." Pam blinked a few times. "To tell you the truth, I'm surprised she's even coming. Or participating. It's just – she and Michael haven't exactly been getting along the best lately. Ever since the deposition, Michael's been kind of moping around a lot, and whenever Jan comes in things seem really tense between them. I hope they work things out. I like them together." Pam shrugged.

"What did I get her?" Pam repeated the question that had just been asked of her. "If I tell you, it won't be secret anymore." She smiled softly, bit her lip, and then caved. "I got her a painting. Well, actually, I painted it myself. I hope she likes it. I had no idea what to get her. I was going to make her a painting of the corporate offices in New York on fire or blowing up, but I thought that might be a little too… anarchist? And I also toyed around with the idea of Ryan being tortured or dismembered or harmed in some other fashion. Jim also seemed to like that idea. But… seeing as how Ryan might be here today I… went in another direction. I hope she likes it anyway." Pam smiled for the camera before she rose, smoothed out her skirt, and headed back to her desk.

When she got there, she glanced over at Jim, then at Dwight, and back at Jim. She smiled and then winked at Jim. It was 11:00. That meant it was exactly one hour before the Christmas Party would begin, and therefore so would Operation Secret Santa. Jim made a display of looking at his watch and then pushing the buttons on the side as though synchronizing it. She opened up a new game of free cell and hummed along softly to the Christmas music.

~ * ~ 

Angela Martin was having a pretty good day. On the outside anyway. On the outside, it was an hour before the Christmas Party and the Party Planning Committee was actually already set up and ready to go. The tree was decorated tastefully, with full white lights, that she had bought herself to be sure they were the right ones this year. The food was laid out in the conference room, with Pam having cooperated, for once, and brought chips and dips. The presents for Secret Santa were all wrapped and placed under the tree, one for each participant. She had checked multiple times to be sure no one was left out (and that none of the boxes were iPod shaped). Everything seemed perfect.

On the inside though, Angela was just having another bad day in a string of bad days that had begun on the day Dwight had killed her beloved Sprinkles, and had yet to end. It was bad enough that she had to listen to the so-called Christmas music coming from Pam's radio that could not have been less Christian if it tried. An Italian Christmas Donkey? A Hippopotamus for Christmas? She did not approve. But if that had been the only thing bothering her, her day still would have been salvageable. Instead, it was one of the least of her worries.

Her beloved pet was dead, her boyfri – _ex_ -boyfriend had killed said pet, and now she was semi-dating someone else in the office, just to get back at said ex. And Andy was a good guy, she could not fault him. He went to church with her every Sunday (he was even considering joining the choir) and was very kind and had not pushed her past their 'necking', nor questioned her about her "Oh D!" outburst. It almost made her feel bad, to use him in the way she was. He was a nice man, and a nice distraction, even if he did have a tendency to go around singing that blasphemous Christmas Donkey song. 

But even all his niceness couldn't fill the void in her heart left by Dwight, or the one left by Sprinkles. She missed them both terribly, and wished for days when she had them both by her side. Now, Sprinkles was forever lost to her, because of Dwight. He had taken her beloved pet from her, and she didn't think she could ever, ever forgive him for that. The pain was almost too much for her to bear. While hanging her Christmas decorations she had come across Sprinkles' stocking, and had cried for over an hour. She just wanted Sprinkles back, and Dwight back, and for everything to go back to the way it had been.

But things like that only happened in fairy tales, and Angela didn't believe in or approve of fairy tales. They promoted witch craft. So she bit her tongue, straightened her back, and prepared herself for yet another bad day.

~ * ~

Jan arrived at the office at 11:45. Michael had told her three times that the Christmas party started promptly at noon, and they were already on tentative ground since the deposition. The fact that he'd even invited her at all had sent a small thrill of joy through her, and she intended to not mess this up. 

Pam smiled at Jan as she walked in. The older woman was dressed decidedly casual, yet classy today. Gone were the Corporate Jan clothes but also gone were the jogging suits she'd become so fond of of late. Instead, today, Jan was wearing a pair of fitted black jeans, and a soft looking, form fitting green sweater that brought out the green in her eyes. Snow had begun falling outside, and some had caught in Jan's hair, which was in soft curls around her shoulders. The snow sparkled under the florescent lights. Jan looked beautiful. 

At the same moment Jan walked into the office, Michael walked out of his. He caught sight of her and stopped dead in his tracks. Pam watched as he took in the sight of Jan, watched as his mouth formed the word 'Wow', watched as he walked toward her as though under a spell. When he reached her, he leaned over and kissed her, which Pam noted, seemed to surprise Jan for a moment, before she reacted and kissed him back. Then, as though remembering something unpleasant (which he likely was), Michael suddenly pulled away, leaving Jan standing there awkwardly. 

Michael suddenly refused to look at Jan, and neither spoke a word. Pam felt the tension grow and knew she had to do something to relieve it. "Merry Christmas Jan," she said, wishing she could have thought of something better.

"Merry Christmas Pam," Jan forced a smile.

"Um," Pam scanned the room for someone to help her, something to say, "well, since Ryan isn't coming," she noticed Jan perk up at that, "I guess this is everyone. Angela, is it okay if we start a little bit early?"

Angela frowned, but nodded her permission. "Snacks are in the conference room. We have half an hour allotted for eating, and then it'll be time for Secret Santa."

Pam motioned toward the conference room and Jan followed along with everyone else who was heading in to get food, led by Kevin. Pam stayed out and helped Angela arrange enough chairs for everyone to sit in a circle. As people filtered back out with plates and cups of punch, they slowly began to grab various seats. Jim sat down and placed his plate on the chair next to him, winking at her. She smiled and headed into the conference room herself, knowing that her place was saved.

Once she had gotten some food, she headed back out to the main office, watching as Angela purposely settled down beside Andy across the circle from where Dwight was sitting. Angela refused to make eye contact with Dwight, but Dwight was staring sadly at Angela. Pam frowned just slightly as she sat down next to Jim. "Let's hope Operation Secret Santa works," she whispered to him. He only nodded back.

The half an hour allotted for food was awkward at best. Angela refused to look in even the general direction of where Dwight was sitting, Michael and Jan sat next to each other but barely spoke at all, and when he wasn't not speaking to Jan, Michael was glaring at Toby who was sitting across from him. Kelly prattled on the entire time about something, but Pam had done her best to tune the girl out and focus on whispering plans back and forth with Jim. The half hour passed painfully slowly in Pam's opinion, but finally Kevin spoke up. "Is it time for Secret Santa yet?" 

All eyes focused on Angela, especially Dwight's eyes. She did her best to ignore him, and by proxy Kevin who was seated beside him, so she answered Pam instead. "Yes, I think we can begin now."

"Ooh, me first! Me first!" Kelly raised her hand and waved it around in the air madly. Everyone exchanged looks, and then, finally Michael sighed. "Fine."

"Yaaay!" Kelly giggled, running over to look under the tree for her present. 

"I will hand out the presents!" Dwight snapped at her, and Kelly jumped back slightly. 

"O-kay then ," Kelly mumbled under her breath, but she smiled widely as she took the small, thin package Dwight handed her.

"I wonder what it is?" She mused as she tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a jewel case with a burnt CD in it. On the CD in permanent marker was sprawled, 'Andy Bernhard's Christmas Classics'.

"It's a CD. Of me. Singing Christmas Carols. A capella." Andy grinned at her from across the room.

"Oh my god, seriously?" Kelly asked, flipping the jewel case over so she could look at the track listing. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! This Gift! You sang This Gift! That is like, my favorite Christmas song ever! Oh my god!" Kelly ran over and hugged Andy quickly, before turning and heading for the annex.

"Kelly, where are you going?" Michael called after her.

"I gotta listen to this right now!" She giggled, practically running toward her desk. Andy jumped up out of his own seat and headed back for the annex himself.

"Be right back, Muffin," he addressed Angela, who flinched and blushed slightly at the pet name. "Gotta go see if she likes it for sure! Go ahead with the gifts. Just don't let Tuna touch mine."

Michael watched him for a second before he turned his attention back to the group. "Okay, well then why don't we have –"

"Angela," Dwight cut in, handing her a larger gift wrapped box.

"Go next." Michael finished lamely.

Angela still refused to look Dwight in the eye, so when she took the box from him, her fingers accidently brushed his. She pulled back quickly as though she'd been burned, and Dwight's face fell. Still, once the box was in her lap, she said, "Thank you, Dwight," very softly, but enough that no one would think she was being rude. 

A huge smile flicked across Dwight's face. "You're welcome, Angela." 

Jim and Pam exchanged silent looks. Angela carefully tore off the wrapping paper, opening the lid to the box and looking inside. With Andy gone from beside her, she was the only one who could see into the box, except for Dwight who was now standing next to her, but he was careful not to look into the box. It was Angela's present, not his.

Nestled inside the box, lying in a bed of tissue paper, were two items that brought tears to Angela's eyes, which she quickly blinked back. There was a framed 8x10 picture of her and Sprinkles from last Christmas, with Sprinkles' red and green collar with the little bow and bell. It was framed in a beautiful wooden frame that had Sprinkles carved beautifully across the bottom. The other item was a small Christmas ornament, a cat that looked exactly like Sprinkles, with a little halo and angel wings. 

Angela blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, trying to think who could have gotten her such a gift. It hadn't been Andy, he had been Kelly's Secret Santa. Oscar and Kevin were out, they could have cared less about Sprinkles. The only person Angela could think of who knew how much Sprinkles death had affected her would be Pam. She scanned the faces in the room, trying to pick out who it was from, but everyone looked neutral. She quickly placed the box lid back on the present and said, "Thank you Santa, whoever you are."

"What was it?" Kevin asked, leaning over toward Angela as though he could see into the box.

"It was none of your business, that's what it was." Angela snapped back, hugging the box closer to her.

"Woah, okay Munchkin, calm down," Michael held his hands up at her. "Why doesn't Pam go next?" He suggested, looked pointedly at Dwight.

Dwight handed Pam a large box wrapped in Donald Duck Christmas paper. "I wonder who this could be from?" Pam tried to smile, but inside grimaced, petrified of what would be in the box so obviously from Michael, and what kind of war or Christmas swapping game it would start this year.

She opened the paper slowly, with Michael encouraging her to "Just rip it off already – that's what she said". When she finally got the paper off, she opened the lid to the large Dunder Mifflin paper box to reveal another package, this time wrapped in Bugs Bunny paper. She lifted out the smaller, yet still good sized box, which was much heavier than she thought it would be, and pulled the paper off of it to reveal a wooden box with a latch on the front of it. 

"Well, open it," Michael coaxed.

Pam looked at Michael, then at Jim, then back at the box, before she finally lifted the latch and carefully opened the box. She was expecting something to explode at her, or make fart noises, or something as equally Michael. Instead, the lid opened with no surprises to reveal two rows of paints and a paint brush. Pam actually gasped at the sight of it, as her fingers trailed along the paints and over the brush. "An art set. You got me an art set?" She was smiling suddenly. 

"For when you paint and all. Maybe your next art show will have pictures painted with those paints." Michael was beaming proudly, although whether he was proud for Pam, or proud of himself for the gift he'd gotten her, it was difficult to tell. "And, I did go a little over the cost limit – the set cost me about 5 dollars more than what we agreed on, so I am fully ready to pay you all 5 dollars."

Jim laughed at the way he was trying not to upset them this year and shook his head. "I think we're all okay with the gift you got Pam, Michael. Don't worry about it."

Michael breathed a sigh of relief while Jim leaned over to inspect the art set with Pam and Dwight picked up a large, thin package.

"Jan, this one's for you." He handed it over to her, and Jan took it, looking slightly nervous and as though she felt out of place.

"Go ahead," Pam smiled softly at her, "it won't bite."  

Jan glanced at Michael, who offered her a smile and a nod, which wasn't much, but was more than she was expecting, and she quickly pulled the wrapping paper off. She gasped when Pam's painting was revealed. It was framed in a simple black frame, with black matting to give it a more classic look. But it wasn't the frame or the matting that Jan was taken by, it was the painting itself, of two people who were obviously her and Michael, walking along a beautiful beach hand in hand at sunset. 

Minutes had passed and Jan still hadn't said anything. Pam bit her lip. "I – I wasn't sure what to get you so… I thought… If you don't like it…"

Jan's head snapped up from looking at the painting to instead look at Pam. "It's beautiful, Pam." Her voice was slightly choked. "I love it."

Michael also looked up at Pam. "It's Jamaica."

Pam smiled and nodded. Michael smiled back and continued to look at the painting with Jan. On the other side of the room, no one noticed Angela's face scrunch up in a questioning look. If Pam was Jan's Secret Santa, then she couldn't be the one who had given her the picture and ornament of Sprinkles. If it wasn't Pam, then who was it? Phyllis perhaps, but they hadn't been on the best terms of late, or maybe Toby. Toby had been kind to her after Sprinkles' death, perhaps he had given her the present. 

"Michael, you're next." Dwight handed him the gift, which on the tag read To: Michael, From: Toby. As soon as he saw the tag, Michael threw the present down.

"No! No. No way. Toby? Toby is my Secret Santa? Uh uh. No. Toby is not Santa. Toby is like – like – Heat Miser. Toby is evil and the devil and I refuse to accept a present from the devil on Jesus' birthday. It's sacrament."

"I think you mean sacrilege." Jim supplied. 

"Yes! Sacrilege. It is sacrilege."

"Michael," Jan hissed at him. 

"Michael," Pam said at the same time, in a softer, calming tone. "Toby is your Secret Santa, whether you like it or not. And if you don't open his gift, then you don't get any gift at all. It's up to you."

Michael frowned and kicked at the box at his feet, before finally leaning down and picking it up. "If I open this and suddenly my head starts spinning around and I start puking up pea soup like in Friday the 13th, then you'll all know for sure that Toby is the devil."

"Definitely," Jim nodded, trying to keep a straight face.

Knowing that at least Jim was on his side and would be there to take vengeance on Toby if he was possessed, Michael finally tore open the wrapping paper and lifted the lid off the box. Inside sat a packet of papers that had been stapled together. The first paper, obviously a photocopy, read 'Property of Michael Scott. DO NOT READ.' Michael looked up at Toby. Toby merely shrugged at him. He flipped through a few of the photocopied pages, seeing little notes written in Toby's stupid handwriting. This was definitely Toby's copy of his diary. He put the lid back on the box quickly, then looked at Toby once more. "Th – Tha – Than –" He still couldn't bring himself to say it. Toby was still the devil, even if he'd done this one sorta nice thing. And really, how nice was it in the long run? He hadn't even bought him a gift, just rewrapped something that was already Michael's to begin with. It was a sucky present from a sucky person. 

"You're welcome." Toby replied. Michael glared at him, but still held the box tightly. No one dared to ask what it was Michael had gotten.

Again, Angela was left pondering who could have been her Secret Santa. The gift exchanging continued on, with Jim receiving The Police karaoke CDs from Kevin, Oscar being the lucky recipient of one of Creed's balled up shirts, Stanley getting an oven mitt from Phyllis, and so on. In the end, Dwight was the last person to open his gift, a bag of paint ball pellets from Jim. It was obvious to anyone keeping score, which was really only Angela, everyone else was occupied with their own gifts, that the only person who had not been revealed as a Secret Santa was Dwight. Which meant that Dwight had been her Secret Santa.

Angela swallowed hard and stood up from the circle, heading into the kitchen to try and sort things out in her mind with a mumbled "I need to get more ginger ale for the punch", still clutching the box containing her present. Andy was too occupied with his new 'How to sing boy band songs a capella' book that Kelly had gotten him ("Oh my god! We got each other for Secret Santa! How crazy is that?! That is like, so totally cool! Like, just, awesome, right?!") to notice that she had left. In fact, the only people in the room who did notice were Jim, Pam, and Dwight. Dwight stood and followed her at a distance, while Jim and Pam nodded. It was time to put Operation Secret Santa into effect. 

~ * ~

A few minutes had passed and no one had noticed Dwight and Angela alone in the kitchen. Pam had turned up the radio and everyone was chatting and checking out their gifts.

“You know what would make this party even better?” Meredith casually mentioned to Michael, with a slight drinking motion of her hand. 

Michael thought about it, then stood and headed for his office. A few moments later he came back out, carrying a dusty cardboard box containing 6 bottles of vodka. “Time for a little Christmas Spirit! Quick, someone go spike the punch while Angela’s not looking. Jim!” He tossed a bottle of the vodka to Jim.

Jim looked from the box to the bottle in his hand and then back at Michael. “Michael, you realize this vodka is two years old, right?”

Meredith grabbed the bottle from him. “And unopened. So still good.” 

Jim was waiting for Toby or Jan to interject, to say that they weren't supposed to be drinking at this party, that corporate would have a fit. But Jan looked sort of interested in the vodka, and Jim realized she probably didn't care what went on at this party, especially if it pissed off corporate in some way. And Toby merely shrugged, apparently not even seeing the need to put up the fight when he knew he would lose. Jim glanced to Pam for help, but she shrugged too. "It was kinda fun two years ago."

"Great!" Meredith took the bottle and headed for the conference room, pouring the whole thing into the punch bowl. She swirled the punch once with the ladle, then began pouring it into cups for everyone.

Jan headed in to grab a glass of punch, and once she had gone, Michael looked at the painting she'd left behind one more time, before picking up his present from Toby and heading into his office, shutting the door behind him. 

Jim nudged Pam. "What do you think's going on there?" 

"I'm not sure. But right now, we have Operation Secret Santa to worry about. We'll worry about Michael and Jan later." 

"Do you have it?"

"It's in my desk." Pam nodded and headed for her desk. Jim followed. "You're going to have to create a diversion, you know?"

"The instant I plug in the karaoke machine, no one will notice what's going on by the kitchen at all. If they're all even still conscious at that point." Jim inclined his head toward the punch bowl and the people gathered around it. 

"All right, then let's get this mission started." Pam smiled at him. Jim headed for the karaoke machine, while Pam took the small brown bag from her desk and headed toward the kitchen. 

Jan came back from the punch bowl carrying a cup for Michael. She scanned the crowd and finally her eyes settled on his office. Since the night of the deposition things had been tense between them to say the least. Jan was actually surprised Michael hadn't kicked her out of his condo. They both had just pretended everything was okay, but the truth was, they were both hurt and angry with the other, and so they'd just slowly turned into her parents, which was something Jan definitely didn't want. Seeing Pam's painting had made Jan realize just how much she did love Michael, and just how much he had loved her. He had constantly chased after her and been by her side through everything, even when she didn't want him there. And she had been ambivalent, as the corporate lawyer had said, about their relationship. Now it was her who was doing the pursuing and Michael who was being ambivalent and she was finally starting to see just how much she must have hurt him. 

She knocked softly on his office door, before opening it a crack. Michael looked up from where he had just finished scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Hey."

"Hey. I brought you some punch. You're – you're missing the party."

"I was just getting ready to come back out." He stood. She entered his office and closed the door. 

"Michael, I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending like everything is okay when it isn't. I know I hurt you at the deposition, and I am sorry. But it hurt me too, that you picked the company over me. I guess I can see now why you did it but… it still hurts. But seeing Pam's painting made me realize that we've come a long way in the year since Jamaica and… I don't want this to be the end. I'm sorry I stole your diary, and I'm sorry I wrote that performance review, and I'm sorry I was so ambivalent about our relationship. I just – I love you. I really do. And I don't want to just keep walking around on egg shells, with neither of us talking or saying what's on our minds. I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to go crazy."

Michael smiled just slightly at her words, and then picked up the copy of the diary that had been laying on his desk. "I have a present for you. Here." He handed it to her.

She looked at the copy and nearly screamed. "Michael, I said I was sorry about this. Do you have to keep throwing it back in my face?" 

"Just read the last entry."

"What?" Jan looked surprised.

"Just read it." Michael smiled.

Jan flipped through the pages until she reached the last one. There, written in Michael's handwriting was the date December 24th. She looked up at him with questions in her eyes. He just motioned for her to read it. 

"Dear Diary," she read aloud, "today we had our annual Christmas Party at work. Jan came this year, for the first time ever. (That's what she said). We did Secret Santa again, no Yankee Swap this year, Jim forbid it, but really, it's not like Jim's my boss or anything. I just didn't want to play this year. Toby gave me his copy of my diary back as my present. Stupid Toby, couldn't even get me a real gift." Jan looked up at Michael with a slight frown, but she kept on reading. "But I guess it was kind of cool of him. Just don't ever tell anybody I said that. Anyway, Pam had Jan for Secret Santa, and she painted her this awesome painting of us in Jamaica last year. The Pamster's got some serious talent, I'm not kidding. Seeing the painting and getting the diary back made me realize something about my relationship with Jan." She swallowed hard before continuing on. "I love Jan. And I want to marry her and grow old with her and have kids and a dog and ketchup fights with her. And yeah, she did hurt me, diary, I won't pretend that she didn't. But, I know I also hurt her by siding with the company at the deposition. So, maybe just like her stealing my diary and me emailing the photo of her to everyone, we can both admit we were hurt and call it even. Because I don't like the way things have been with us lately. I just wanna hold her and kiss her constantly, and I'm tired of not being able to do that. Think she'll forgive me, diary, if I tell her I forgive her? XOXO Michael."

Jan had tears in her eyes as she dropped the photocopied diary to the ground and walked over and pulled Michael into a kiss. He finally gave in and kissed her back, and for long moments they just enjoyed kissing each other again. When she pulled away, Jan rested her forehead against Michael's. "I really am sorry," he said to her. 

"I'm the one who's sorry. I'm the one who should be apologizing. You deserved better than how I treated you. I'm sorry. I love you." 

Michael's smile was wide. "I love you too." He kissed her again.

"We still have a lot of stuff we need to talk about Michael. We can't just pretend this never happened." 

"I know," Michael nodded, "but for now, can I just enjoy my Christmas Party and show off my totally smokin' hot girlfriend?" 

Jan laughed. "Sure." Michael wrapped an arm around her waist and they headed out the door and back to the party.

~ * ~

Meanwhile, Dwight had entered the kitchen after Angela a few minutes ago, but had still not spoken. Angela was digging in the refrigerator, trying to ignore him. When she finally emerged and realized he hadn't gone away, she looked at him quickly and then back away. "Thank you for the Christmas present Dwight." She looked out the window of the kitchen and saw Kelly leaning over Andy, laughing as he sang to her. She felt another white hot flame of hatred for Kelly Kapoor rush through her.

"You're welcome Angela. I made the frame myself, I even carved Sprinkles' name in it myself."

"It was nice of you. I guess your guilt over killing her is getting to you."

"Monkey –" Dwight protested, but Angela fixed him with a fierce glare. "Angela," he amended, "I am sorry I killed your cat. I shouldn't have done it and I wanted to make things up to you. I know you loved Sprinkles, and I'm trying to help you remember her as best I know how." 

"I wouldn't have to remember her if you hadn't killed her!" Angela hissed.

"She was sick and in pain! I did what I thought was best for her, and you. I didn't want you to have to go through the pain of watching her suffer." Dwight reached out as though to rest his hands on her shoulders, but she moved away from him, trying not to let her tears show.

"I know I can never make up for what I did, but I will keep trying until the day I die. We Schrutes believe in making up for our mistakes, no matter what the cost. After Uncle Zeke cut off Uncle Elijah's legs accidently with the hay cutter, he cut off his own in the same fashion, just to try and make amends. And so I too will continue to try to make amends for what I've done to you Angela. Because it was wrong of me, and it hurt you. And also, because I still love you."

Angela moved quickly past Dwight, heading back for the party. "I can't do this right now," she mumbled, forgetting to pick up her present in her haste to get out of the kitchen.

"Monkey, wait!" Dwight called after her, scooping up the box and following her. 

She very nearly ran into Pam as she was coming out of the door, and stopped short, causing Dwight to bump into her. Pam moved quickly out of the way.

"Hey you two, look up." Jim called to them from his spot by the karaoke machine.

Both Dwight and Angela looked up to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the kitchen doorway. A sprig that had most definitely not been there when they entered the room. 

"You gotta kiss her now, Dwight." Jim egged him on.

Angela looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and Dwight's face was a mixture between thrilled and disgusted.

"Oooh," Michael called, coming out of his office with his arm around Jan, "Dwight and Angela under the mistletoe! You know what that means. Where's my camera?"

"Seriously. You have to kiss her, Dwight. You're both under the mistletoe. It's like… Christmas law." 

"This is certainly not Christmas law," Angela tried to protest, yet she still hadn't moved from the spot under the mistletoe.

"Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!" Jim began to cheer, with Kevin and Meredith quickly joining in, followed by nearly everyone in the office, including Andy Bernhard himself. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Dwight looked from Angela, who still hadn't moved away, to the crowd, and back to Angela, still standing under the mistletoe, looking up at him. She hadn't moved. She could have moved, but she hadn't. That had to mean something right? 

Dwight leaned down and pressed his lips to Angela's for the first time in over 3 months. The kiss was brief, it lasted only a few seconds, but for those few seconds, Dwight's life was finally once again complete. And then Angela pulled back quickly and slapped him, just as she had the night of Casino Night when he'd kissed her unexpectedly. And, just as on Casino Night, as she stalked away from him toward the conference room, Mark caught the tiniest bit of a smile flash across her face before she moved out of the view of his camera. He panned back to Dwight, who still stood under the mistletoe, looking shocked, yet pleased. 

Jim and Pam exchanged smiles and a high five once she finally reached his side. "Looks like Operation Secret Santa was a success." Pam grinned. 

"Looks that way. And it also looks like Michael and Jan won't be needing our mistletoe after all," Jim cocked his head in the direction of Michael and Jan, who were softly kissing, with Michael's arms still around her, "soo, what do you say, we go try it out?"

Pam's smile was a bright as it had been when they were playing poker on Casino night. "I say it looks like Mark wants you for an interview. But once you're done, you know where to find me." She winked at him and headed toward the kitchen door. 

Jim looked over at Mark and sighed. Mark gave him a 'sorry man' look, before he turned on the camera. "So, it's been another fun filled Dunder Mifflin Christmas. Although, I've got to say, in the whole grand scheme of things, this year has been pretty tame. I mean, yeah they spiked the punch, but there was no Yankee Swap or Michael bringing back a Benihana waitress or war of the Christmas parties or… anything really. Just good old fashioned Secret Santa and spiking of the punch."

Mark asked him something and Jim smiled his patented Jim smile at the camera. "The paint ball pellets. Yeah, I mean, come on. We all know that's exactly what Dwight wanted for Christmas, so…" He trailed off. "The mistletoe? Yeah, no idea where that came from. But, hey, it looks Dwight really did get everything he wanted this year." He glanced over to where Dwight was looking over at Angela adoringly, "So, I guess Secret Santa did go well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date under the mistletoe. Merry Christmas." And with that, Jim was gone. Mark zoomed the camera in on him and Pam, kissing under the mistletoe, before he turned and spotted who he wanted to talk to next.    

Angela tucked her hair back behind her ear, and gave Mark a warning look that said not to bring up anything at all about the kiss. "My Secret Santa present was very nice, and thoughtful. I like it very much. And besides the fact that many of my fellow co-workers are now drinking themselves into a stupor, I think the Christmas party went very well this year. So yes, I have had a pretty good day." And for the first time in over 3 months, Angela actually meant it when she said it.


End file.
